Fresno State Athletics
`Dogs Enjoying Summer Tournaments
6/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
June 4, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - With the 2010 volleyball season just around the corner, the returning student-athletes on head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell's team have been working hard in the summer to improve and learn new skills in the game.
This year's team is very committed to improving upon last year's third place finish in the WAC Tournament, the best by a Bulldog team in five years.
There are multiple opportunities for athletes of all ages to compete in grass and sand tournaments all over the state of California and even in Fresno. Many current Bulldogs have participated in a variety of tournaments already this summer that have been run by the California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA), the Fresno Grass Volleyball Association (FGVA) and the AVP.
Seniors Kelly Mason and Kasey Van Grouw have been competing nearly every weekend and won the first tournament they participated in this summer, Fresno State Alumni John Jay's Grass Tournament at Buchanan High School on May 15th.
"It was fun to start of the summer with a tournament win," Mason said. "We work well together. We just look at each other and just know what the other is thinking. It's fun playing with your best friend because you know you have good chemistry."
Fellow seniors Megan Moss and Lauren Berger also participated in the event.
Most of the tournaments are two-day events with the first day being two person teams of males or females and the second day being co-ed. Formats usually consist of pool play with four teams in each pool and playoffs that include single elimination.
"Outdoor rules are different," Mason said. "Setting is stricter and it requires scrappiness, strong defense, being smart and being strategic, where indoors you use a lot more power and you have more people on the court."
Mason and Van Grouw only played in one tournament together last year, but Mason has played in four already this summer and Van Grouw has played in two. Mason and sophomore Cecilia Agraz played in an FGVA event earlier this summer and reached the semifinals.
These took look to play in an AVP Qualifier later this summer which includes some of the best athletes from across the country.
There summer tournaments every weekend, if not in Fresno there are some in Davis or Sacramento or even beach tournaments in southern California.
Every tournament consists of different levels ranging from recreational to youth to college and former college players. Mason and Van Grouw said they have seen some current players from other collegiate teams at some of the tournaments.
"Outdoor players are a lot more experienced in where they place balls and they have to know how to use the wind to serve," Mason added. "We learn a lot and adjust while we are playing and learn by watching other people."
These two aren't only playing in more tournaments this season for the fun of it and because they are best friends, but to learn new skills and prepare for their senior campaigns indoors.
"We play really well together," Van Grouw said. "We compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses. We are both very competitive so no matter who we are playing we find a way to win. We push each other and help each other get better."
"We have a lot of goals this fall so playing this summer will help prepare us and help us reach them," Mason added.
On Sunday, Van Grouw will compete in another FGVA event with team manager Hunter Knight. For more information on the FGVA, log on to www.fgva.net.
"We are your team!" - Stay updated on gobulldogs.com for more information on the Bulldog volleyball team. Also check out the 2010 Volleyball Summer Camp and register today. For more information please call the camp line at (559) 278-5051 or e-mail Alanna Jackson at alannajackson@csufresno.edu.
